Narrative of Special Education Co-teachers in Secondary Mathematics Inclusive Settings
Location
Hamilton B
Proposal Track
Research Project
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
The literature often depicts special education co-teachers as assistants to the general education co-teacher (Keefe & Moore, 2004; Magiera, Smith, Zigmond, & Gebauer, 2005; Murawski & Swanson, 2001; Scruggs, Mastropieri, & McDuffie, 2007; Walsh & Jones, 2004) due to the inequity of roles of special education and general education teachers in the co-taught classroom. This inequity is more apparent in secondary mathematics classrooms, where the content is more specified (Magiera et al., 2005). Although depicted as subordinates, many special education co-teachers serve as instructional leaders in the co-taught mathematics classroom. This narrative inquiry explored the experiences of special education co-teachers who have become instructional leaders in the classroom. Using the lens of Mezirow’s (1978) transformative learning theory, this study investigated special education co-teachers’ transformation into instructional leaders.
Findings revealed special education co-teachers experienced disorienting dilemmas pertaining to the expectations of co-teaching, critically reflected on ways to build relationships, participated in dialectical discourse with other special education co-teachers to discuss ways to learn and teach mathematics, and engaged in reflective action to integrate themselves into the role of instructional leader. A recommendation for a future study would entail a replication of this study including co-teachers of different ethnicities, ages, and gender.
Keywords
Co-Teachering, Mathematics, Narrative Inquiry, Secondary Education, Transformative Learning
Recommended Citation
Starling, Cristy N., "Narrative of Special Education Co-teachers in Secondary Mathematics Inclusive Settings" (2016). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 20.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2016/2016/20
Narrative of Special Education Co-teachers in Secondary Mathematics Inclusive Settings
Hamilton B
The literature often depicts special education co-teachers as assistants to the general education co-teacher (Keefe & Moore, 2004; Magiera, Smith, Zigmond, & Gebauer, 2005; Murawski & Swanson, 2001; Scruggs, Mastropieri, & McDuffie, 2007; Walsh & Jones, 2004) due to the inequity of roles of special education and general education teachers in the co-taught classroom. This inequity is more apparent in secondary mathematics classrooms, where the content is more specified (Magiera et al., 2005). Although depicted as subordinates, many special education co-teachers serve as instructional leaders in the co-taught mathematics classroom. This narrative inquiry explored the experiences of special education co-teachers who have become instructional leaders in the classroom. Using the lens of Mezirow’s (1978) transformative learning theory, this study investigated special education co-teachers’ transformation into instructional leaders.
Findings revealed special education co-teachers experienced disorienting dilemmas pertaining to the expectations of co-teaching, critically reflected on ways to build relationships, participated in dialectical discourse with other special education co-teachers to discuss ways to learn and teach mathematics, and engaged in reflective action to integrate themselves into the role of instructional leader. A recommendation for a future study would entail a replication of this study including co-teachers of different ethnicities, ages, and gender.
